3D

Thermal imaging has proven itself to be a useful adjunct to physical testing in areas including engineering, health, and agriculture. Until now, however, conventional 3D thermal imaging use has largely been restricted due to the specialized technical knowledge required to operate it and interpret the results. To address this, Australia's CSIRO has developed a prototype tool called HeatWave that is a lightweight, high-resolution 3D scanner that is claimed to be not only easy to carry, but easy to use as well.
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This week at the Farnborough Airshow, BAE Systems showed off its latest Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD), the Striker II flight helmet. The unit not only provides a digital, visor-projected night vision system that is equivalent or better than current HMD systems, but it has also seen a weight reduction for greater safety and comfort.
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Advertising is a bit like an arms race, with businesses competing with one another in a never-ending battle for the eyes and ears of consumers. The latest salvo in this Don Draper war is the MirrorBox, billed as "the world's first projection-mapped display unit." Built by DisplayMapper, a division of London-based Projection Artworks, the MirrorBox is a self-contained projection system designed for retail spaces and points of sale that projects stereographically-mapped images onto three-dimensional objects.
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Researchers at the University of Arizona and the University of Connecticut have developed a technology for augmented reality devices that superimposes data over three dimensions rather than two. The technique makes the user experience much more seamless and vastly reduces eye strain, making AR devices more attractive for long-term use.
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The 3D format has had something of a renaissance in recent years, but the technology still has some way to go before the potential of "real-life" multiperspective 3-D can be realized. The Camera Culture group at the MIT Media Lab is developing a new 3D video projection system that doesn't require glasses and provides different users different perspective angles of the same object. The team sees it not as a final answer, but as a transitional system that sits between current technologies and true holographic video.
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Glasses-free 3D TVs haven't really taken off yet, but that may change if Netherlands-based Dimenco's Kickstarter campaign proves successful. The company is developing a 4K-resolution 3D TV featuring a 39-inch display that's being pitched to early backers for €899 (about US$1,250).
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When we think of computer displays, we probably think of something solid and substantial that won't stand up too well when you put a hand through it. Fog screens, that use a curtain of mist on which to display images, have no such weakness, which is one of the reasons a team at the University of Bristol has used the technology to create MisTable, a tabletop display aimed at collaborative efforts.
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UK-based "tech alchemist" firm Engage yesterday launched its Flux Innovation Lounge. The Lounge is a place to see some of today’s advanced technology put into practical use – and a place for Engage to show off some of its work. Visitors can expect 18-foot (5.5-m) touchscreens, holographic cabinets and immersive environments.
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The notion of 3D printed biological tissue holds all kinds of possibilities for drug testing and the reparation of damaged cells, though replicating the complexities of human tissue in a lab presents some very big challenges. A new bioprinting method developed by researchers from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University has enabled the creation of tissue constructs with small blood vessels and multiple cell types, marking important progress toward the printing of living tissue.
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The Oculus Rift has carved out a sizable reputation for itself among gamers, but as we've seen before, virtual reality has many applications beyond playing video games. Now one production studio is preparing to release the first movie shot specifically to be watched through the VR headset. The upcoming film, called Zero Point, will focus on the history and development of virtual reality technology, while allowing viewers the freedom to look around each scene as the movie progresses.
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